A Forum for Orthodox Jewish thought on Halacha, Hashkafa, and the social issues of our time.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

A Charedi View on Perpetuating Poverty

Guest Contribution by Rabbi Baruch Tennenbaum*

How many are learning at a level justifying community support?

Once again, I am proud to feature the words of a prominent,
highly respected Charedi individual who has sent me a personal correspondence
about yesterday’s post entitled, ‘Perpetuating Poverty in Israel’. As in his previous submissions - he asked to
remain anonymous because of his sensitive position in the community.

I have again
granted his request but used an alias this time. My only comment is that I believe his views are a lot more
mainstream in the Charedi world than many there are willing to admit. Including
their rabbinic leaders. His words follow.

We have created a generation of non-working people, who only
create expenses without doing anything to bring in income. The list of
excuses for this is quite long, and even boring for the most part. But it
is unacceptable to me.

I am reminded constantly of the edict by our Chachomim
(Sotah 40a) that one is first required to establish residence, then parnosoh,
and only later to marry. I can accept the trend to have all yungerleit
sit in kollel for a minimum of time, and I can even accept the trend away from
education in colleges and universities. But this has escaped the
boundaries of saichel long ago.

We have kollelim that are swollen to many times their ideal
size. I might enjoy and even relish the Kol Torah. But how many of
those who populate the kollel system belong there? Why are they taking
from the Klal instead of giving? Who told them that this is okay?

People blame Rav Aharon Kotler ZT”L, but that is not based
on truth. He was asked about the violation of the above gemora, and he
stated that the establishment of kollelim was a desperate horo’as sho’oh.
That was 60 years ago. A sho’oh cannot last that long.

If one actually examines today’s kollel, one will find those
who are truly learning, who will grace the next generation with the services of
a leader, posek, rosh yeshiva, etc. One will also find a greater
percentage of those who are warming their chairs or benches, basically using
the beis hamedrash for refuge from responsibility.

Our chinuch system has been tortured with a huge (but B”H
decreasing) percentage of these yungerleit for whom chinuch is not a profession
but a default for those who would fail dismally at jobs in which their
knowledge would be inadequate.

We have a generation of dependents, and it requires Gedolei
Yisroel to stop it. Yes, stop it. Kollel needs to regain its honor
as an institution where one prepares for the Higher Tzorchei Tzibbur, where
leaders are able to grow with the nurturing of Gedolei Yisroel and support of
the Klal. At present, there is precious little of this, and the Klal is
sentenced to shame.

I am not against large families. And even in good
times, some of these families may struggle. But it CANNOT be the
responsibility of every resident of Boro Park to marry off the children of the
Yidden from Eretz Yisroel who have never worked a day in their lives. I
cannot pasken what is considered tzedokoh, but someone who voluntarily
sentences himself to poverty, then schnorrs to sustain himself and his family
cannot be high on the list.

The issue is unrelenting, and I am disturbed by it on a
daily basis. The desperation and dependency is so great that the
schnorrers who circulate the beis hamedrash where I daven daily have no
hesitation to disturb with their “sales pitches” during every part of
davening. Yes, they can see that I am obviously saying Kriyas Shema or
Shemoneh Esrai, but have no boundaries to stop them from disturbing me even when
I am not allowed to be mafsik. I am aware of several shuls where
collecting is off limits.

I have personally intervened when a schnorrer approaches the
Shaliach Tzibbur during chazoras hashatz or other times.

A dear chaver of mine told me that he once sent a letter to
Rav Chaim Kanievsky with a long checklist that included every conceivable
instance during davening – when may one be mafsik to give tzedokoh to these
collectors. The letter was returned with the inscription on the top – עוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה. (When performing a Mitzvah one is released from other Mitzvah obligations
-HM)

This topic is painful, and discussing it here will not make
it go away. Finding more money won’t work, any better than replacing a
gas tank in a car that lacks essential engine parts to make the car go
faster. And trying to limit access to Kollel just ain’t PC.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.